Xiaomi Inks a new Deal with Nokia for Business Cooperation and Patent Agreements

Nokia has announced a business collaboration agreement and a multi-year patent deal with Xiaomi. The patent deal will enable both the companies to cross license the cellular standard-essential patents. The terms of the deal further granted patent assets to Xiaomi from Nokia. To be clear, Nokia has licensed its brand name along with the patents to HMD Global, but still retains the authority to make patent deals with the third parties.

“Xiaomi is one of the world’s leading smartphone manufacturers and we are delighted to have reached an agreement with them. In addition to welcoming such a prominent global technology company to our family of patent licensees, we look forward to working together on a wide range of strategic projects“- Rajeev Suri, President & CEO of Nokia.

Nokia has been into the business of patent licensing for quite some time and Xiaomi being a relatively new company is yet to strengthen its patent portfolio. The patents will not only help Xiaomi with the smartphone technology but also with its interconnected devices on the Mi Ecosystem.

The business agreement details how Nokia will be providing the network infrastructure and equipment including the ones needed for data centers. Nokia will also be working alongside Xiaomi on their newly conceived FP4 network processor and also other areas including internet of things, AR, VR and AI.

“Xiaomi is committed to building sustainable, long-term partnerships with global technology leaders. Our collaboration with Nokia will enable us to tap on its leadership in building large, high-performance networks and formidable strength in software and services, as we seek to create even more remarkable products and services that deliver the best user experience to our Mi fans worldwide.”-Lei Jun

Xiaomi has been among the top five smartphone manufacturers in China but the numbers are dwindling since Xiaomi, unlike its competitors, lack a properly laid out retail channel. The company has been opening retail stores and is also working on its R&D prospects.